Stone Mad by Elizabeth Bear

So, there is some solid world-building in this. I liked the introduction of Spiritualism and illusionists. I also enjoyed the cryptid, though I definitely wasn’t expecting it. But honestly, Stone Mad felt like a jumble. Might have been the storyline, might have been the inclusion of so many characters in such a short book… not sure.

I also don’t think Priya felt like the Priya we met previously. Probably because she’s a lot more sure of herself and dealing with some crap from her father. I’m just not sure I liked what was there… especially toward the end. I’m going to slightly spoil a bit, but… it’s a small bit. Priya literally watched Karen go out for a walk, saw muddy clothing on the porch (or wherever Karen left it), and is angry about that in addition to the stuff she was angry about before? What? I thought that was kind of ridiculous. Karen came home and slept in the same bed as you, at least she made it home. Bleh.

Anyway… Stone Mad was alright, but just alright.